182 YEARBOOK OF THE IT. P. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



APPARATUS. 



The apparatus used for home seed testing should be as simple as is 

 consistent with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Any method that 

 complies with the conditions given above a proper amount of heal, 

 moisture, air, and the exclusion of light will give good results. For- 

 tunately, these conditions are so easily fulfilled that the most inex- 

 pensive apparatus will answer. Perhaps the simplest and at the 

 same time the most satisfactory is the following: 



Take two plates and place in one of them a folded cloth; wool or 

 flannel is preferable, since it remains moist for a long time, but any 

 cloth will do. The cloth should be free from dyes that will conic out 

 in water, since they may contain chemicals that would be injurious 



FIG. 24. Homemade germinating apparatus. A, complete ; B, section. 



to the seed. Wet the cloth, pressing out the surplus water, leaving 

 it very damp, but not soaked. Place the seeds between the folds of 

 cloth, put in the number of the record, marked in pencil on a piece 

 of paper, with date and number of seeds, and cover with the second 

 plate, inverted. Plenty of air will get in between the plates, and the 

 upper one will prevent too rapid evaporation of moisture. If the 

 tests are to be made during the winter, keep the apparatus in the living 

 room, as the heat of such a room will be sufficient for most seeds. 

 During the night the seeds should be put in a warm place. Instead 

 of the cloth, old newspapers, well soaked, can be used. These need 

 to be moistened more frequently, however. (See fig. 23.) 



Another apparatus that will give good results, especially for seeds 

 not larger than wheat, is the one shown in fig. 24. Here the seeds 

 are placed free on the bottom of a porous saucer and the latter put 

 inside of a tin basin. The basin should have at least two coats of 



